In this game, I saw (and you shall see in the video clip below) an unflappable young man with an advanced football acumen. I couldn’t help but notice how calm he was in the pocket, sidestepping oncoming rushers, resetting his feet, and delivering accurate passes while avoiding sacks. He displayed tremendous touch, throwing a very catch-able ball that the receivers could pluck in stride.

In terms of pro-readiness, Barkley is advanced in two key areas: reading defenses and quarterbacking technique. His technique is polished, from his compact overhead release, down to his solid footwork.

He can throw effectively to either side, and is adept at selling play fakes, as USC tends to run a play-action dominant offense.

(Video thanks to JMPasq)

What others have said about Barkley:

As a college prospect, Scout.com had this to say about Barkley, their top rated quarterback in the country:

A dropback passer with good mobility inside of the pocket, Barkley has a big time arm. He can hit the deep out as well as anyone in the country while showing exceptional touch on short and intermediate routes. His mechanics are outstanding, and he shows great poise and leadership under pressure. He is a big quarterback that has the frame and toughness to make an early contribution on the next level. The total package. – Scott Kennedy, Scout.com

They also listed among his strengths – accuracy/consistency, intangibles, and arm strength. His weakness was thought to be a lack of mobility/running ability.

Rob Rang of CBS Sports.com in his scouting report:

Arm Strength: Has the ability to make every throw, but has only slightly above average arm strength, overall. Zips short and intermediate routes, but relies more on timing and accuracy, rather than arm strength for the deep out. Only an average deep ball passer.

McShay’s ESPN analysis presently giving a draft grade 0f 91, good for 16 best prospect:

A polished prospect that possesses a high football IQ and shoulders a tremendous amount of responsibility conducting a pro-style offense. Possesses great field awareness and has a thorough understanding of game situations. Processes information quickly both with pre and post-snap. Sees the entire field and consistently can get to second and third progressions. Savvy and can manipulate coverage with pump fakes. Oblivious to the rush and will sit in the pocket and make throw under duress. Calm and executed well working against pressure. Can anticipate throwing lanes. Needs to cut down on interception total. To his defense several INTs were due to a lack of communication or drops by receivers.

From Mel Kiper’s Big Board, which currently ranks Barkley as the 10th best NFL prospect:

After a so-so effort at Cal, Barkley impressed against the Irish. He has shown a great growth curve, a better ball and throws well on the move. Good, not great, arm. Even as NFL expands in the gun, Barkley’s pro-style skills are helpful.

The above featured excerpts underscore some of the perceived strengths and weaknesses of Mr. Barkley.

You can see that arm strength is cause for debate among the media evaluators. Most of these writers believe that Barkley lacks elite arm strength, and I would agree. But having “elite” arms strength is more a luxury than a necessity. The important thing is to get the ball from point A to point B in the given time window. Won’t a quarterback with average arm strength who gets the ball out early achieve the same result ( a completed pass) as a QB who hesitates but has a monster arm?

Besides arm strength, evaluators are unanimous in their praise of the other facets of Barkley’s game.

Looking forward to April, what does this do for Barkley?

Quarterbacks are always the hot commodity, and Barkley looks to have  the requisite skills to go within the top 10 picks, especially if he continues playing like he did Saturday. Maybe I like this guy more than most, but I simply cannot say enough good things about Matt Barkley.

Why did Pete Carroll overlook his USC boys during the draft, in favor of  talented, yet unfamiliar athletes?

My initial reaction to Carroll overlooking his guys was that “he must not think that highly of his players.” We have heard Carroll sing the praises of players like Taylor Mays for several years, but when Carroll had to put his money where his mouth was, his actions spoke louder than his words ( please excuse my  excessive use of cliche’ phrases in that sentence).

Although I think there may be a grain of truth in there somewhere, there is a more savvy interpretation of Pete’s actions.    As a business with large monetary consequences for selecting certain players, the NFL is different than the NCAA. As an NFL coach, Pete Carroll can only afford to  select players with the best chance of helping his team.  The draft only grants a team approximately 7 picks, whereas the NCAA allows a school to recruit around 25 players per season. Missing on a prospect in college costs the school much less than a missed draft choice in the NFL.

I wholeheartedly believe that Pete Carroll likes his USC players, but many of his USC boys weren’t good values from a need and fit perspective.

Taylor Mays

The Seahawks were desperate for a safety, and they made it a priority to come away with one before the draft was over. USC safety Taylor Mays’ connection to Pete Carroll made a reunion in Seattle a likely possibility. However, Mays’ strong safety style of play, plus his general lack of ball skills would not fill the Seahawks dire need for a playmaking, ball hawking safety like the one they got in Earl Thomas.

Charles Brown

The left tackle prospect had loads of upside, but his ability to step into an NFL starting lineup was questionable at best.  Brown weighs in or around 290 pounds, and would have to get significantly stronger before his body would be ready to handle the stronger and bigger defensive ends in the league.

The Seahawks offensive line has been a sore spot for a sputtering offense. And the ‘Hawks needed to come away with an immediate starter.  From a value standpoint, the team picked an excellent prospect in Russell Okung- a player who should be able to contribute much more quickly than Charles Brown. Both the Earl Thomas pick and the Russell Okung selection were outstanding values. Pete Carroll swept up two of the highest rated players in the draft because they somehow managed to slip a few picks.  Okung was regarded by some as the top tackle prospect of the year, and they go him at #6 overall. Earl Thomas was rumored to go as early as #7 overall, and was arguably the best safety in this draft class.

Everson Griffen

Letting Griffen go to the 4th round was a real head scratcher.  The ‘Hawks could have packaged some trivial draft picks to move up 10 spots in the 4th round to get Everson Griffen. Defensive end is a big need, and Griffen would have brought considerably more athleticism to that front.   The lack of action on Carroll’s part does lead me to believe that he wasn’t too keen on bringing him to Seattle.  The guy has big-time potential. Perhaps Carroll knew him well enough to steer clear of Griffen and his emotional baggage?

Pete Carroll (NFL.com)

Seahawks with a foundation of USC products?

Based on the near-daily reports regarding the Seahawks trade talks for former USC players during free agency (Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart), plus the signings of Lendale White and Mike Williams, I thought it was a slam dunk that Carroll would be eyeing the opportunity to build his program with familiar names.

Every indication led me to believe that Carroll placed added value to players he recruited and coached for years- players he had known intimately.

To some degree that has been the case, but certainly not to the extent that I anticipated.

Often, coaches will recruit players they have priors with because it removes the risk factor that uncertainty brings, especially in the draft process. You see examples of this all the time in the NFL.

In Detroit, new coach Jim Schwartz went after former Titans DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, OL Daniel Loper, and CB Eric King, while OC Scott Linehan insisted on bringing in Nate Burleson from Seattle.

In Denver, HC Josh McDaniels immediately tried to trade for his pupil from New England Matt Cassel. However, former co-worker  Scott Pioli jumped in front and picked up Patriots Mike Vrabel and Matt Cassel.

In the draft process, coaches and front offices will show a similar regard for players coming from coaches with whom they have a connection.

Bill Belichick has a strong bond with Florida head coach Urban Meyer, and this relationship of trust was evident in New England’s draft picks.   Second round picks Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes, as well as fourth rounder Aaron Hernandez all hail from the Sunshine State.

In essence, coaches and front office personnel place notable value on players with whom they have prior connections.  So why did Pete Carroll overlook his USC boys during the draft, in favor of  unfamiliar athletes?

Check on Monday or Tuesday to hear the answer!